WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Matt Sheppard Poised to Make History at NGK NTK World Finals, 2nd through 4th in Points Locked in Tight Battle
CONCORD, NC – This weekend (Nov. 4-6), the Beasts of the Northeast fly south and join their World of Outlaws brethren on the biggest stage in dirt racing: The Dirt Track at Charlotte’s NGK NTK World of Outlaws World Finals.
Matt Sheppard has a Series-high eighth title clinched but Mat Williamson, Billy Decker, and Peter Britten are neck and neck for second place overall.
A stellar lineup of invaders have registered to take on the Series stars, as well. Tim McCreadie, Billy Pauch Jr., Mike Gular, and many more will join 40-plus Big Block Modifieds racing for a pair of $10,000 paydays.
These are the top storylines to follow:
Matt Sheppard’s Eighth Super DIRTcar Series Title
Just two 40-lap, $10,000-to-win, Super DIRTcar Series Features separate Matt Sheppard from hoisting his eighth championship, surpassing dirt Modified Hall of Famer Brett Hearn for the most titles in Series history. Sheppard started the season behind the curve but was able to get his program sorted and piled on the wins.
Out of 17 starts this season, the #9S finished outside of the top-10 only twice. Combine that type of consistency with four Feature wins and 10 top-fives and you have another championship season. Sheppard visited Victory Lane in Series competition at Weedsport Speedway, Land of Legends Raceway, Ransomville Speedway, and Lebanon Valley Speedway in 2021.
Race for the Points Podium
The Franklyn Flyer, Billy Decker, and 2019 Super DIRTcar Series champion Mat Williamson, out of St. Catharines, ON, are tied for second place in the points standings with 3,504 points. Williamson currently holds the tiebreaker with three Series wins to Decker’s zero. Outside of the three wins, however, both drivers’ records are identical this year. Both drivers sport six top-fives and 10 top-10s in 17 Series starts.
Williamson just won the biggest race of his career…again. For the second time, the #88 Buzz Chew Racing Big Block parked in Victory Lane at Oswego Speedway having won the Billy Whittaker Cars 200 and more than $50,000 during NAPA Super DIRT Week. Billy Decker finished in his tire tracks to draw even with Williamson in the points and surpassed now fourth-place ranked Peter Britten.
Britten picked up his second-career Super DIRTcar Series Feature win this year at Land of Legends Raceway where he raced weekly. The #21A has been in the top-five in points throughout the year. The Australian entered the season with the goal of finishing in the top-five in points. Now, he’ll try to leapfrog Decker and Williamson for a runner-up finish in points to build momentum for a 2022 championship run.
Sorting Out the Top 10
Behind Peter Britten, there is a gaggle of drivers within reach of each other in the points. Fifth through ninth are only separated by 58 points. Max McLaughlin, from Mooresville, NC, sits fifth and is unlikely to catch Britten but Ransomville, NY’s Erick Rudolph is only 17 points back from him. Both drivers have five top-fives so far this season with the Series.
Jimmy Phelps, Larry Wight, and Chris Hile are positioned seventh through ninth in the standings and a lot can change after the two 40-lap Features. All three drivers are coming into the NGK NTK World Finals looking for their first Series wins in 2021.
Chris Hile will likely finish the year as the Super DIRTcar Series rookie of the year. A race win at Charlotte would cap off a stellar first year for the Syracuse, NY driver.
Tim McCreadie double duty
Tim McCreadie, from Watertown, NY, is back in the Atlas Paving #66 that he ripped around Brewerton Speedway last October. McCreadie is pulling double-duty this weekend as well – running with the Super DIRTcar Series and World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models.
A win would put him in sole possession of 12th on the all-time Super DIRTcar Series win list.
McCreadie fought in the top-10 throughout the Demon 100 at Brewerton. He settled for 10th in that 100-lapper but learned a lot about the new setups used on Big Blocks since his days of racing them full-time. He could be a major threat with the extra track time in the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models.
Invaders from the North
At the time of this writing, 41 drivers have registered for this year’s NGK NTK World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. Billy Pauch Jr. was the first non-Series driver to register. The Kid’s Kid wants his first Series win and a $10,000 payday to bring back home to Frenchtown, NJ.
Brett Hearn, Pat Ward, Danny Johnson, Mike Gular, LJ Lombardo, Duane Howard, Jeremiah Shingledecker, Ronnie Davis III, Alex Yankowski, and more are slated for the season finale showdown on the crimson clay of The Dirt Track at Charlotte.
How to Attend, Watch, and Follow
Single-day tickets and packages are on sale now HERE.
Twitter – @SuperDIRTcar
Instagram – @SuperDIRTcar
Facebook – Facebook.com/
YouTube – Youtube.com/DIRTCarRacing
If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all of the action live on DIRTVision – either online or with the DIRTVision App. DIRTVision will also broadcast live all of the 2022 Super DIRTcar Series, along with the 50th NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week.
The Super DIRTcar Series is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners, including: DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider), VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel), Chevy Performance Parts, iRacing (Official Online Racing Game) and NAPA Auto Parts. Contingency sponsors include: ARP (Automotive Racing Products), ASI Race Wear, Bicknell Racing Products, Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux, Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, Drydene, Fox Factory, MSD, and Wrisco (Exclusive Racing Aluminum); along with manufacturer sponsors, including: FireAde, Intercomp, and Racing Electronics.
Sources: Joe Grabianowski, Super DIRTcar Series PR
PHOTO: Andy Newsome